Steam electric flatiron



June 9, 1942. N. SMITH 2,285,757

STEAM ELECTRIC FLAT IRON Filed Nov. 2 8, 1939 3 .30 I ZZ Z 47.3, ZZ7 47.4. 1

21 E47. 61 2A0 v 2/ JO 7 77 30 I p J0 INVENTUE 7 NuHM/IN SMITH ATT DR HEY atented June 9,-1942 3 2,285,757 swam Emerald m'rmon I Norman Smith, Syracuse, N. Y. Application November as. 1939, Serial No. 308,528

1 Claim. (case-m My invention relates to improvements in steam electric flat irons. 1

In ironing cloth such as linen, cotton and the like, it is first necessary to dampen the cloth in.

order properly to iron out the wrinkles. Inpressing cloth such as is used in men's suits and ladies dresses, for example, woolens, serge,'ve1vet and so on, the dampening is ordinarily accomplished by layinga damp cloth over the material to be pressed. The heat of the iron and the steam generated from the damp cloth cooperate to press the material properly. Commercial pressing machines have been constructed to expel live steam through a cloth covered pressing member to accomplish a similar result. For use on smaller-articles and for use in the 'home,'a

number of flat irons have been developed which are provided with means for generating steam which is expelled through the sole of the iron to steam and dampen the material. Another type of steaming iron utilizes steam from an indepe'ndent steam generator. In this latter type of flat iron, steam is conducted through the body of the iron usually from a point adjacent the heel of the iron to apertures located in the sole thereof. The flat irons of this type that are available today, usually employ electric resistance means fo heating theiron itself.

The steam discharged from the iron should be substantially dry, for if the steam is so wet that the iron spits drops ofwater, the work may be spotted. On the other hand, the discharged v steam should not be too greatly superheated, or

it will not properly perform its function of moistening the clothes.

=Various devices have been evolved for drying,

.the steam within the iron. One scheme now in use employs a relatively large expansion chamber within the body of the iron at the steam inlet. This chamber is substantially filled with anto trap out any moisture in the steam as it enters the iron. Passages lead from' the expansion chamber toward-the toe of the iron. Small apertures connect these steam passages with the outside surface of the sole of the iron to permit the discharge oi the steam to the work. Another absorbent heat-resisting material such as asbestos scheme utilizes separate bailles within the expansion chamber or steam passages to retard the flow oi the steam through the iron in order that any entrained moisture carried by the steam may be vaporized by means of the heat generated by the electric. resistance heating unit contained within the iron.

One of the diiiiculties of the schemes described is that they require a means oiaccess-from the outside to the interior of the expansion chamber 1 to insert the'absorbent material or bsiiies and to replace the same as may be needed during the life of the iron. Another objection to the use of absorbent material or baii'les is that the. steam drying 'efllciency of theiron'decreases with use.

Another objection isthe difllculty of maintaining a steam-tight cover for the opening to the expansion chamber.

Anobject of my invention is to providea series of relatively "small expansion chambers arranged in such fashion as to cause the steam to flow through a relatively long and tortuous passage through the body of the iron from-the inlet point p to the discharge point of thedried steam.

Another object of my invention is to form the expansion chambers integrally with the' base portion of the iron so as to provide a steam-tight passage from the entrance point to the exit point of the steam. v A further object of my invention is to supply dry saturated steam at the exit point by keepa ing the steam within the body 'of the iron for a relatively long period of time.

,Still another object of my invention pro-.

vide a-steam passage comprising a large number of small expansion chambers presenting a large surface. area to the steam in order to obtain a V large total amount of heat transfer from the.

electric heating source to assist in converting entrained moisture in the vapor into steam during its passage through the iron.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and accompanying. drawing,- in which: I a 1 Figure l is a side elevation, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section, of a com-,

pletely assembled fiat iron madein accordance,

with my invention.

' Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing aseries 0! expansion chambers taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section, parts. being broken away, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a partial horizontal section of an unfinishedliron, corresponding to Figure 2 but showing the core cleaning apertures.

Figure 5 is a partial vertical section of an unfinished iron. corresponding to Figure 3 but showing the core cleaning apertures.

Referring to the drawing, I. is a steam electric fiat iron comprising a base portion or shoe H, a cover or hood l2 and a handle ll. The.

handle it is supported above the hood I! by means of suitable supports II and 5. An electrical connection 20 is provided to connect the fiat iron to a suitable source of power (not shown). A steam connection 'll has one end threaded in a suitable aperture I. provided in the rear. wall of the shoe ll adjacent one side thereof; The other end of the steam connection I! is connected to an independent steam generator (not shown) by means of the union i5, tube 20 and a suitable flexible conduit (not shown), which may be slipped over the end portion 2| of the tube 20.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the aperture l8 enters the first of a series of expansion chambers 20, which expansion chambers are connected to each other through the relatively small passages 2|. The expansion chambers 20 and connectingmassages 2| are arranged to form a continuous tortuous passage for the heel of the iron to the toe chamber 22. A plurality of relatively small apertures 23 is provided in the bottom of the toe chamber 22 connecting with the outside of the sole of the iron to permit the exit of steam. Figure 2 shows clearly the steam flow path which begins where the connection I! enters the first expansion chamber 20. From thence the steam flows laterally through the succeeding expansion chambers across the heel of the iron. It then flows longitudinally to the next series of expansion chambers through which it fiows lateraluminum, aluminum alloy or bronze which has a melting point considerably lower than the melting point of the steel wires supporting the cores, with the result that in casting the shoe porting wires are unaffected.

After the casting is removed from the mold, the supporting wires project beyond the sides of the casting. The cast metal does not adhere to the supporting wires which are then pulled out of the casting, leaving the apertures ll in the sides of the shoe. Through these apertures 25 the sand cores may then be removed, leaving the expansion chambers 20, passages 2| and toe chamber 22 clear. The apertures 23 are then drilled through the sole to connect the toe chamber 22 with the exterior of the iron. The apertures 20 are filled subsequently with aluminum by means of a welding. operation where the shoe II is cast of that metal, or are drilled, tapped and plugged where H, the suptheshoe II is of cast bronze. The exterior of the ally. The steam progresses in like manner.

through each succeeding series of expansion chambers until it reaches the toe chamber 22, from whence it exits through the apertures 23. It can readily be seen that the series of small expansion chambers 20 and connectingpassages 2| offer a large area of heat transfer surface to the steam'as it passes through the iron. Likewise, the series of pressure drops from one expansion chamber to the next without a corresponding temperature drop in itself will vaporize entrained moisture and dry the steam.

A suitable electric resistance heating unit 25 is tightly embedded in a slot 26 which is formed by the upstanding projections 21 and 28 of the shoe H. The width of the slot 26 in relation with the heating unit 25 is such that theunit 25 is forcibly fitted within the slot 28 to provide a heat conduction path of high thermal efiiciency between the heating unit 25 and the shoe The operating temperature of the iron is considerably higher than the temperature of the steam at the entrance point l1. The steam, in its long, tortuous passage through the series of expansion chambers '20 and connecting passages 2|, picks up heat from the walls of the expansion chambers, thus evaporating any entrained moisture in the steam before it reaches the toe chamber 22.

casting .then is finished and a high polish given to its sole, noplating'being. necessary. The resulting shoe has contained within it a steam-tight,

tortuous passage extending from heel to toe. The heating unit 25 is fitted into the slot 25 and suit- I able connections made to the exterior of the iron.

The handle i3 is assembled to the hood |2 which,

in turn, is removably fastened to the shoe II by a suitable means, such as a bolt (not shown). A heat control switch of a suitable type may be provided for controlling the heat of the iron.

The shoe H, including the projections 21 and I 28, expansion chambers 20, connecti'ngpassages 2| and chamber 22, comprises a unitary casting.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, I wish to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: I

A base portion for a steam electric flat iron provided with an electric heating means, comprising a single casting including a plurality of steam chambers disposed in substantially parallel rows having small connecting passages between the upper ends of adjacent chambers in a row, and adjacent rows being similarly connected at alternate ends to form an 8 like series of expansion chambers progressing through said base portion to retard the flow of steam therethrough, an aperture forintroducing steam into one of said chambers adjacent the heel of said base portion, a chamber located within the toe of said base portion extending a substantial distance toward the heel thereof and communicating with the last of said series of chambers, and a plurality of apertures arranged in said toe chamber and piercing the sole of said base portion to permit steam to pass therethrough.

NORMAN SMITH. 

